Never Saw This Coming
by ebnovotny
Summary: Troy had it all in high school. But when it came time for college, he found his world torn apart. With Gabriella in California and Sharpay living above him, Troy has to find a way to balance basketball, theatre, friendship, and love.
1. Chapter 1 The Beginning

The Beginning

As Troy stood on the steps of his new home and looked up, he felt overwhelmed. This was an entirely new experience for him and he wasn't sure he was ready for it. He swallowed hard past the lump in his throat as he thought back to the series of events that put him here in this spot.

After graduation, Troy tried his hardest to get into UC Berkeley, even though he knew the admissions date was passed. All he wanted was basketball, theatre and the girl of his dreams, Gabriella, within a reasonable distance. But he had waited too long to make his decision to go to Berkeley. The basketball scholarship that would have granted Troy the chance to be on the team was already given to a kid in Maine. Without the scholarship, neither Troy nor his parents would be able to afford Berkeley.

So, Troy's original college of choice was now his best choice—The University of Albuquerque. He would be able to keep his basketball and theatre, but he would be further away from Gabriella than he would have liked. She did her best to convince him that things would be fine, that they could handle this distance. He believed her and they shared a difficult good-bye as he threw his life into the back of his beat-up truck. He watched her drive away in her graduation present from her mother—a brand new, red Honda Civic—and then he drove off in the opposite direction, towards his own future. He picked up his best friend and new roommate, Chad, on the way. They loaded Chad's stuff into Troy's truck together and then made their way towards the school.

And that was where Troy found himself contemplating his decisions and how his lack of decision-making cost him the chance to be closer to his girlfriend. Chad clapped him hard on the shoulder, shaking Troy out of his thoughts.

"Come on, man! Let's get this stuff up to our room. I wanna check out the college ladies. Thank you, God, for co-ed dorms!"

Chad and Taylor said their good-byes the week before without making promises to each other. Taylor refused to limit herself because she had a boyfriend on the other side of the country and Chad couldn't argue with that. He knew that he would want the college experience the way he had always envisioned it—late class times, parties every night, basketball championships, and girls, lots and lots of girls. He wanted all of this without the ball-and-chain of a girlfriend at Yale. So when Taylor suggested they should break-up, he was only too willing to comply.

The two boys carried their boxes into the school and took the elevator to the second floor. They found their room, F1, and opened the door to the bare room. The only furniture that came standard were two beds, two dressers, and two small desks. The room was arranged to accommodate two roommates that didn't necessarily know each other—the desks were on opposite walls for privacy and the two dressers were opposite the two beds. There was even an obvious division in the closet; a straight line, drawn with a permanent marker, right down the middle. Troy smiled softly as the overwhelmed feelings dissipated and feelings of adulthood flooded him. He threw his stuff onto the bed nearest the door, letting Chad take the bed closer to the window.

The pair began to unpack their things, putting clothes into their separate dressers and setting up their desks with computers and books. Troy was making his bed when Chad walked into the room carrying their TV, his eyes wide.

"Dude. You'll never guess who I just saw pull in the parking lot."

Troy furrowed his brow and helped Chad put the TV onto one of the dressers.

"Who was it?"

Chad walked over to the window and looked out.

"I totally forgot she was gonna go to school here. Shit."

Troy followed him and looked out the window that faced the parking lot. His eyes were automatically drawn to a bubblegum pink convertible with the initials "SE" painted in white script on the hood. Walking away from the car was a too familiar blonde, her long hair ending in soft curls and bouncing slightly as she walked. She carried an over-sized purse holding what Troy knew had to be a small dog. He shook his head and looked away as she walked out of his sight. He laughed and shrugged.

"I wouldn't worry about it, man. It's a big school. I doubt you'll ever see her, even if she is staying in the same dorm."

That night, Troy and Chad joined their new classmates for dinner in the dorm dining hall, checking out the food now while there was still time to sign up for a meal plan. They met with a few boys they would be on the basketball team with that they had met over the summer. After dinner, Chad decided to go with their teammates in search of a pre-semester party. Troy feigned sleepiness, parties never having really been something that he was into. He said good night and made his way to the elevators. He stopped and almost turned around as he saw Sharpay Evans waiting for the elevators as well, a large box in her arms. Troy shook off the feelings of uneasiness at seeing her and walked up to her, smiling softly.

"Hey, Sharpay. Long time, no see."

She looked over at him sharply, surprised, her eyes lighting up as she recognized him.

"Troy! Hi! What are you doing here? What happened to Berkeley?"

He reached up and rubbed the back of his neck absentmindedly, feeling a little uncomfortable. He shrugged.

"I didn't make the scholarship deadline. So, here I am."

She worked to shift the weight of the box in her arms as she smiled wide.

"Wow. Well, lucky me, huh?"

He furrowed his brow and cleared his throat. The elevator doors opened for them and they stepped onto it. He looked back over at her when the doors closed.

"What floor?" he asked, raising his eyebrows a bit.

"Three, please. Where are you?"

"Two," he answered. "Do you want some help with that?" He nodded towards the box in her arms.

She smiled and nodded. "Yes, please. It's really heavy." She handed it to him and wiggled her arms around a bit, enjoying the freedom from the heavy box.

Troy took the box easily and smiled at her. The elevator stopped on her floor and Troy followed Sharpay to her room. At first, the set-up of the room seemed familiar. The entire right side of the room had the furniture in the same place, with one dresser instead of the two he had in his room. The window and closet were in the same place, but her bed was pushed up against the left wall and back wall. If he had just walked by, Troy would have known this was Sharpay's room. The familiar pink she almost always wore was all over the place. She had even taken down the standard cream curtains that came in every dorm room to put up her own sheer, pink curtains.

"You have your own room?" he asked her, his eyebrows raised.

She smiled back at him and shrugged. "Could you really see me sharing a room with anyone, Troy?"

He contemplated that thought for a moment before letting a small shudder run down his back and shaking his head.

He set the box onto her bed and she immediately opened it up to remove the contents. Letting curiosity get the best of him, Troy peeked into the box and pulled out a large picture frame. In the picture, Sharpay and her brother, Ryan, had their arms around each other, both in their graduation garb. Troy smiled at the picture, feeling a slight pang of nostalgia as he remembered their last day at East High. Sharpay smiled at him and sat beside him on the bed, looking at the picture with him.

"Ryan is so happy at Juilliard. He moved in two weeks ago. He and Kelsi were on the same flight out to New York. Their rooms are just down the hall from one another."

Troy looked over at Sharpay, studying her face. It mirrored the sadness he could hear in her voice. He furrowed his brow, hating to see that look on her face. He frowned now, looking away, these sudden feelings towards Sharpay being new and unfamiliar. She looked over at him and he looked back, seeing a smile on her face now, the sadness suddenly gone.

"I'm so happy for him. I can tell that's it's all he wanted and more," she said as she stood up, gently taking the picture from Troy and placing it on her desk, beside her computer.

Troy smiled and stood up, nodding. "Great. I'm glad to hear it. Your brother is a great guy."

She nodded. "Yeah, he really is." She swallowed hard and struggled to keep the smile on her face. "I miss him…a lot."

Troy reached out to her with one hand, wanting to comfort her, before pulling it back quickly and placing it on the back of his neck, rubbing it softly.

"Well, I should get back to my room. I'm kinda tired…" he trailed off as he backed away slowly, towards the door.

She turned to look at him and nodded. "Okay. Thanks so much for your help. That was my last box and I'm pretty tried myself. I'll see ya around?" She raised her eyebrows, looking hopeful.

Troy smiled sincerely and nodded. "You bet, Sharpay. See ya around."

He left her, shutting the door behind him. All his way back to his room, Troy thought about Sharpay and the look of sadness on her face. He recognized it now as loneliness. _Of course_, he thought, _she misses her twin. I must look the same way whenever I think about Gaby._

Troy went into his room and wasn't surprised to find that Chad was still out. He changed into his usual pajamas—a tank top and PJ pants—and turned off the light, crawling into bed. He lay on his back and looked up at the glow-in-the-dark stars the two boys put up earlier in the day. He let his mind wander as he started to drift into sleep. He thought about his girlfriend and he hoped Chad wasn't partying too hard. He thought about Ryan at Juilliard and wondered what New York would hold for him. Lastly, Troy thought of Sharpay, alone in her pink room, before he finally fell asleep.


	2. Chapter 2 Classes and Dreams

Classes and Dreams

Troy woke up on his first day of college classes to the sound of Chad talking softly. He furrowed his brow and rolled over to face his friend, still half-asleep.

"Chad?" he called out, sounding tired.

"Yeah?" Chad answered. He sat up in his bed and looked at Troy.

"Were you talking?"

Chad smiled. "Yeah, I was. Just talking to myself. Pep talk, you know?"

Troy laughed and buried his face in his pillow, trying to wipe away his sleepiness. He took in a deep breath and could still smell his house in the pillow. He sat up quickly, running his fingers through his hair.

"I guess we gotta do this…" he said, standing up and going to the closet to look for something to wear.

One shower, two outfit changes, and forty minutes later, Troy and Chad were on their way to their first class—the only class they could schedule together. They sat in their Algebra 102 class side-by-side, watching their classmates file in.

College classes went pretty much like Troy thought they would. The professor introduced herself and passed out the syllabus. After that, it was all business. She went right to lecturing and demonstrating how to solve equations. Troy did his best to keep up with his notes, but found himself completely bored half-way through the first day. His mind started to wander to more interesting topics, like his girlfriend. He smiled as he thought of her. He missed her, but she would be coming down for a visit Labor Day weekend. He offered to drive up to her, but when she pitted her new car against his old truck, it was obvious who should make the trek.

His mind strayed further from algebra as he thought about exactly what he wanted to do when Gabriella arrived. He recalled the night of their graduation, how they spent the night at her house, making love for the first time. He thought about the way it felt so right, about the way she looked beneath him and the way their bodies fit together.

This thought made him smile wide and shift in his seat, becoming slightly uncomfortable in his baggy jeans. He blushed a soft pink and looked up at the professor, doing his best to distract himself before he found it too difficult to conceal his thoughts.

The class ended after an hour and fifteen minutes of torture. Troy and Chad went their separate ways: Chad back to their room to sleep and Troy onto his economics class. When he applied for school, he put himself as a general education major, not realizing the classes he would have to take. He had hoped for more familiar faces in his classes, but this class didn't provide any, much to his dismay. He sat through the class with drooping eyes, wishing he would have been able to go back his room and slept like Chad. Thankfully, the professor ended class early and Troy was able to have an extra long lunch. He sat in the quad and watched the students come and go and sometimes stay. He watched the different individuals and groups go by and he began to realize how different life was at East High. During his senior year, he would talk to anyone and everyone. Once people broke out of the boxes they were in, everyone seemed to be friends. Even Sharpay came around at times. But here, people were back into boxes. Some people wouldn't even look at each other as they walked by. They kept their eyes on the ground and hurried past. It felt cold.

Troy sighed heavily and threw the remains of his lunch away, pulling his schedule out of his back pocket to check the location of his next class. He smiled now as he saw that his next class was a dramatic literature class that took place in the school's large auditorium. _Finally_, he thought, _a place that feels like home_.

He made his way down the center aisle once he entered the large theatre and found that several students had already arrived. From behind, he could see that Sharpay was going to be one of his classmates, her signature blonde hair pulled up into a ponytail. His heart skipped a beat and he stopped walking for a moment, his brow furrowed as he tried to assess exactly why his heart was flip flopping in his chest. Was it because he just recognized someone in his class, something he had hoped for? Or was it something else? Why was Sharpay suddenly making him feel so strangely? Before he could think about it any longer, he saw Sharpay turn and look directly at him. Her face brightened and she waved excitedly at him. He grimaced for a moment, remembering some not-so-pleasant high school memories involving Sharpay waving at him like that, but quickly recovered, smiling and looking around as if she could be waving to someone else. He turned back and looked at her a moment before going to join her.

"Hey, Sharpay," he said as he slumped into the seat beside her.

"Hey, Troy! I'm so glad to see you," she said excitedly. He turned to look at her face and he studied it worriedly for a moment. She looked so tired. Beautiful and fabulous, as she would say, as always, but there was something more. She looked like she hadn't slept since he'd last seen her. Before he could ask her about it, however, their professor walked in. Well, he sort of sashayed in, flamboyantly waving his arms around as he called the students to attention.

"Welcome, welcome, thespians. You are currently in the heart of all that is wonderful in this world," he crooned. Troy widened his eyes a bit. He thought that the way Miss Darbus regarded the theatre was bad. This guy would give her a run for her money. "This class will probably be the most important class you take here at the University of Albuquerque…Unless, of course, you take my advanced classes." He laughed as if he told the wittiest joke ever. Troy cocked his head to the side a bit and glanced at Sharpay. To his amusement, she looked just as perplexed as he felt. She looked over at Troy and smiled when their eyes met. She stifled a laugh and shook her head, looking down. Troy smiled wide as well and looked at the professor to try and seem like he was paying attention.

The professor, Monsieur Edward (to be pronounced "EdwARd" and not "Edwurd", he explained), continued his speech after forcing the class to practice saying his name correctly.

"This semester, you will learn all of the basic techniques you will need to be successful in the dramatic arts. There is only one assignment for the whole semester…." At this, everyone sat forward a little more in their seats. "You must either perform in the fall play, _Romeo and Juliet_, or work behind the scenes." The reactions from the students varied. Troy saw students sigh heavily and sink into their seats, while some looked like they were praying their thanks to the drama gods. Troy turned to look at Sharpay and she was beaming. He smiled at her, seeing some of the tiredness leave her face.

After everyone signed up for their audition times or backstage jobs, the class was dismissed. Troy didn't know why, but he waited for Sharpay until was finished talking to Edward about the play. She looked grateful towards Troy as she quickly gathered her things.

"Thanks," she breathed, slightly out of breath from talking to their professor so excitedly.

"You're really happy about that assignment, aren't you?" Troy asked, his eyebrows raised.

She nodded, her ponytail bobbing up and down with her head. "Yes! Of course! Aren't you?"

He shrugged and pulled his backpack onto his back. "I guess so. I suppose I didn't expect to be thrown right into it, you know?"

She was still glowing from the news. She nodded, but didn't look like she really heard him.

"I have to call Ryan!"

Suddenly, she threw her arms around Troy, hugging him tightly. Before he could register what had happened, her body was gone.

"I'm so glad we have this class together, Troy. See you later!" she called as she waved and started to walk away.

Troy stood, dumbstruck, in the middle of the hall. He watched her walk away, pulling her phone out of her pocket to call her brother. When she turned the corner, Troy seemed to snap out of his trance. He shook his head a bit as if that would clear it and he headed back to his dorm room, wanting to call Gabriella.

When he got in, Chad was nowhere to be found. Troy assumed that he was still in class. He pulled his cell phone out and dialed Gabriella's familiar number.

"Hey, you," she answered. He could hear a smile in her voice.

"Hey, Gaby. You're not busy, are you?"

"No, no. Never too busy for you, baby. How was your first day of classes?"

He sighed softly. "Eh, it was all right. It was nice to have a class with Chad. And guess what?"

"What?" she asked.

"Sharpay is in my theatre class."

"Wow. I guess you just can't escape her, can you?"

He furrowed his brow a bit. "No, I guess I can't. You'll be glad to know that I'll be somewhere in the fall play. It's _Romeo and Juliet_. We have try-outs in two weeks. Everyone has to do something."

"That's awesome, Troy! It's a great way to get yourself out there."

"Yeah, it is. So, how was your day?"

Gabriella told him about her pre-law classes, her professors and the new friends she was making. They talked about her visit the next weekend and all that they wanted to do when she arrived. Before long, Troy looked at the clock and realized they had been talking for several hours. He yawned and sat up on his bed.

"I should go, baby. I wanna get something to eat and get started on my homework."

"Okay. I miss you."

"Miss you, too. I love you, Gaby."

"You, too, Troy. Bye bye."

"Bye."

He hung up the phone and pulled his book bag onto his bed, ready to start on his first official college homework assignment. As he looked at his math book and the homework that his professor had assigned, however, he decided that having dinner would be a better idea.

On his way to the dining hall, he thought about Sharpay again. He surprised himself with how often he found himself thinking of her lately. She was always popping up in his mind. It would be even more frequent now that they had a class together. Her tired face surfaced to his mind's eye and he realized that he felt worried about her. He tried to dismiss these feelings but they sat in the pit of his stomach, keeping him from eating dinner. He tried to get started on his homework, but all he could do was think about Sharpay. He finally decided to go to bed, but even his dreams were filled with her. He dreamt that they were on stage together and Monsieur Edward was yelling at them. He kept yelling, "EdwARd! EdwARd!" The pair escaped into the curtains on the stage, but then lost sight of each other in the curtain's folds. Troy searched frantically for Sharpay, but he couldn't find her. He called out to her, but she didn't respond. He felt himself trip over something on the floor. He turned to look at it and found Sharpay's lifeless eyes staring back at him.

Troy quickly woke up in a cold sweat, breathing heavily. He lay back on his pillow, trying to calm himself down, but he couldn't shake the look on Sharpay's face from his mind. He let out an unsteady sigh and reached for his phone, hoping it held the number he was looking for. He found the name and quickly dialed the number.

"Hello?"

Sharpay's tired voice filled his ear after three rings. Troy breathed a sigh of relief.

"Hey, Sharpay. Sorry, I woke you up. Go back to sleep."

"Troy?"

"Yeah. Sorry."

She let out a soft, sweet sound, a sort of sigh. "Sleep tight, basketball guy."

He laughed quietly. "You, too, Pay."

"Pay…I like it…G'night"

"Good night."

He hung up the phone and put it away. He found himself quickly in a restful, dreamless sleep.


	3. Chapter 3 Visits

Visits

Two weeks went by and Troy was thankful to be without anymore nightmares about Sharpay. He stayed busy with basketball practices and homework, spending as much energy as he could during the day so that he slept dreamlessly at night. The long weekend he was looking forward to had finally arrived. He sat in his theatre class, knee bouncing up and down as he watched the clock. Monsieur Edward had half of the class up on the stage, working through drama exercises with them. Sharpay watched with attentive eyes, sitting forward in her seat.

The class finally ended and Troy practically leapt out of his seat. Sharpay smiled at him.

"Feeling jumpy, Hoops?" she asked, using her favorite nickname for him.

He laughed softly, loving to hear her call him that. "Yeah, I am. I'm excited to meet up with Gabriella, you know?"

"Yeah, I do. I'm going to take off for the airport now, on my way to New York City."

Troy nodded, studying her face. He found it looking less tired and lonely every day. He knew it was thanks to the trip she was going to take to visit her brother at Juilliard.

"Be safe, okay, Pay? And give your brother a high five for me," he said, winking.

"You've got it, Troy. Give Gabriella my love. I'll see you on Sunday."

She waved and walked backwards towards the exit slowly, still looking at him. He smiled at her and waved back, watching as she finally turned around and disappeared down the hall. He bit his lip and remembered that Gabriella was on her way. He ran back to his dorm room. Chad was laying on his bed, his eyes glued to the video game on the TV screen, his face filled with intensity.

"Hey, man," Troy said. "We need to get this place cleaned up before Gaby gets here."

Chad glanced at him quickly before looking back at the screen. "Yeah, yeah. Ok."

He saved his game and turned the TV off, starting to pick up the clothes around his bed. By the time there was a soft knock on the door, the bedroom looked presentable enough, Troy thought. He opened the door and smiled wide at his girlfriend.

"Boy, are you a sight for sore eyes."

She smiled and threw her arms around him, pulling him close.

"I've missed you, Troy."

"I've missed you, babe. You look great!"

He let go of her to check out her body quickly. She wore a white t-shirt with a green tank top underneath and a short denim skirt. He bit his lip gently as his eyes took in the way the shirt fit tightly around her stomach and breasts.

"Thanks! You look good, too, baby," she said as she made her way to Chad.

Chad opened his arms for her and he wrapped them around her tightly, burying his face in her hair. Troy raised his eyebrows at that, surprised by the closeness of the pair. He watched as they hugged for longer than what he would have thought was normal. Finally, Gabriella pulled away and smiled up at Chad.

"I've missed you, too, Danforth," she said, punching his arm softly. She made her way back over to Troy, wrapping her arm around his waist. "So, what's first on the agenda? Halo tournament?"

Troy smiled wide and looked at Chad, his eyebrows raised. "Sounds good to me!"

Twenty minutes later, Chad and Gabriella were in the midst of an Xbox battle. Chad sat on his own bed while Troy and Gabriella shared Troy's bed. Gabriella sat beside Troy as he lay back on the pillows. Troy slipped his hand inside the back of Gabriella's shirt, rubbing her back softly. He smiled at the back of her head, remembering how much he had missed her and how much he missed just being around her. As the trio played video games, it reminded Troy of the times they spent like this together over the summer. He felt a pair of eyes on him and looked over to see Chad looking at him, frowning. Troy furrowed his brow and opened his mouth to speak, but Gabriella interrupted him.

"I got you!" she shouted excitedly, throwing her hands up into the air, laughing. "I got you! I win!"

Chad clenched his jaw and tossed the controller onto the floor. He stood up, glanced at them as he grabbed his wallet and put it in his back pocket, and then stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

"Chad!" Troy tried to call out to him, but he was already gone. He looked at Gabriella. She was just staring at the door in shock, a pained look on her face. Troy sat up and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. "He's all right. I think he just misses Taylor. It must be hard for him to see us like this."

She nodded and turned to look at him, smiling sadly. Troy cupped her cheek in his hand and pulled her in for a soft kiss. She kissed him back, leaning into the kiss, pushing him back onto the pillows. The pair continued to make out heatedly before Troy's stomach growled loudly enough to interrupt them. They laughed and straightened themselves up before heading down to get something to eat.

After dinner, Chad still wasn't back, so Troy and Gabriella decided to put a movie on. They picked _Aladdin_, a movie that was one of their favorites that was also lighthearted. They sprawled out onto his bed, holding onto each other. Half-way through the cartoon, Troy bit his lip and looked down at the way his girlfriend's body was tangled in his. His breathing became a bit shallow as he felt every inch of her that pressed against him. He turned his body and scooted himself down so that they were face to face. He pulled her in for a passionate kiss, his arms wrapping around her waist. She pulled him close, pressing herself against him even more. Troy felt himself grow excited and he couldn't suppress a moan as he thought of what was to come.

Suddenly, she pulled away from him, breathless. "Wait…wait. Wh-what about Chad?" She raised her eyebrows. "H-he could walk in…"

Troy nodded quickly and untangled himself so that he could get up. He looked around hurriedly before grabbing a sock up off of the floor. "Aha!" he said, opening the door and placing the sock on the door knob. He shut the door and locked it, clapping once. "Ta-da. Problem solved." He reached over to the TV and shut it off just as Aladdin and Jasmine found themselves falling in love. He nodded once and smiled at her.

She smiled gently and sat up, pulling off her shirt and tank top in one motion. Troy watched her, licking his lips and getting even more aroused. He pulled his own shirt off haphazardly, not wanting to miss a moment of her strip session. She smiled more slyly now as she reached around to her back, undoing the clasp of her simple, white bra, much like the ones she always wore. Troy's breath caught in his throat now as his eyes raked over Gabriella's naked torso. He went to her, pulling her close, feeling her breasts against his naked chest. His pants were suddenly too tight for comfort. As if on cue, she pulled back from him enough to look into his eyes as she undid his belt buckle. She pushed his jeans down enough to be able to feel him through his boxer briefs. Troy's eyes rolled into his head and he rested his forehead against her shoulder as she stroked him.

Unable to take much more, Troy gently moved Gabriella onto her back on the bed. He slipped her skirt and panties down her body, throwing them onto the floor, happy to find that she was already feeling aroused. He touched her gently and watched pleasure fill her face. Before long, she was ready for him. He pulled a condom out of his back pocket and finished removing his clothing. He carefully put the condom on and positioned himself at her entrance. He leaned down and kissed her lips passionately as he entered her. Troy nearly exploded as he felt himself in her warmth. He moaned against her lips and pulled back to catch his breath. She whimpered sexily in his ear, wrapping her arms around him and scratching down his back. He widened his eyes, surprised. She had never done anything like that before. He growled and fucked her harder, pushing himself into her. She wrapped her legs around his body, enjoying the passion she felt coming from him. They had never been like this with each other, but Troy liked the way it felt, so he kept going.

It wasn't long before they both came, reaching the point of exhaustion. He pulled out of her, pulling off the condom and throwing it away. She wiggled herself beneath the covers and he joined her, pulling her close from behind. He kissed softly on her neck and shoulders for a long time, reveling in the pleasure he had just experienced.

"I love you, Gaby," he whispered, but she was already asleep, her breathing deep and even.

The next morning, Troy woke up to find that Chad had not returned. He frowned a bit as he pulled some clothes on, watching his girlfriend sleep quietly. He sat back down and kissed her shoulder softly before pulling his phone out. He saw that he had 4 missed text messages—one from Chad and three from Sharpay.

Chad: _I'm staying with Brandon tonight. See ya tomorrow. Sorry._

Troy frowned and thought about replying, but he figured Chad was still asleep, so he didn't bother. He scrolled down to the three texts from Sharpay.

Sharpay: _Hey qt! Just landed in NYC. Thought u should know_.

Sharpay: _omg. Gotta tell u something. Txt me back._

Sharpay: _nm. Tell u when I get back. Miss u!!_

Troy furrowed his brow, but let it go, wondering what in the world she could have to tell him.

Three days later, Troy held Gabriella close beside her car, kissing on her neck.

"Troy," she said. "I really have to go."

"I know," he replied, frowning. He pulled back and kissed her lips once. "I miss you already. I love you."

She opened her door and sat down, looking up at him. "Love you. I'll call you when I get back."

He nodded and shut her door, blowing her a kiss. She smiled at him and pulled out of the parking lot, driving away. Troy watched her go, sadly, and went back to his room. Chad had finally returned, but he was too busy working on homework to have time to talk to Troy about what happened. Troy sighed softly and sat at his own desk, getting started on his own schoolwork.

An hour later, he felt his phone buzz in his pocket as he received a text message.

Sharpay: _Come up to my room!!_

He smiled softly and put his phone away quickly. He got up and left the room without saying anything to Chad. Instead of taking the elevator, he just ran up the stairs to room L2, Sharpay's room. He knocked once before just entering.

"Hey, Pay!"

She turned and smiled wide at him. "Hoops! Did you miss me?" she asked, raising her eyebrows.

He sat down on the edge of her bed. "Actually…I did."

She looked at him, surprise filling her face. She smiled wider and sat down beside him. "I got you a little souvenir."

She reached into her suitcase on the floor and pulled out a white t-shirt. She held it open for him to read. He furrowed his brow and laughed a bit as he looked it over. It was an "I heart NY" shirt, but the heart was pink instead of red.

"Thanks," he said, taking it, still looking it over. "This is going to make me look totally gay."

She laughed and hit his arm softly. "It will not! Plenty of boys wear a little pink now. It's trendy. Speaking of gay…" She reached into her suitcase, pulling out a new picture frame. This frame was adorned with many icons from New York City: a small Statue of Liberty, the letters "NYC", a small taxi cab, a street sign reading "Broadway", etc.

"I think it's nice, Pay," he said. "Not gay at all."

She rolled her eyes and pointed to the people in the picture. There, Troy saw three people: Sharpay, with Ryan's arm around her waist and a red-headed young man that Ryan was holding hands with.

_Holding hands_, Troy thought.

He looked over at Sharpay, his eyebrows raised. She laughed softly and nodded.

"Yep. This is Shawn, Ryan's boyfriend." She spoke as if she was a proud parent.

Troy widened his eyes. "But…Kelsi…I thought…"

Sharpay shrugged and took the picture, adding it to the large collection she had on her desk. "I thought so, too, but turns out he just really liked her as a friend."

Troy shook his head. "My mind is blown…Well, good for him, right?"

Sharpay smiled at him and nodded. "Yeah. It is good for him." She bit her bottom lip gently, drawing Troy's eyes to her lips automatically. "Thanks for understanding, Troy."

He swallowed hard and nodded. "You bet, Pay." He smiled, finally pulling his eyes away from her lips, refusing to admit to himself how much the fullness of them brought out a reaction in him that he couldn't quite explain.


	4. Chapter 4 Tryouts

A/N: Thanks to those people who keep reading and reviewing. It means a lot to me and it makes me want to write even more. I'm glad that you guys like what I have so far.

Also! If you like Camp Rock, please check out my other story, Hello Beautiful. It's a short, one-shot. :)

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Try-Outs

After the holiday weekend, life began to get very hectic for Troy. With classes on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday and basketball practice after class on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Wednesday mornings, Troy couldn't imagine adding anything else to the mix. But when he entered his dramatic literature class, he remembered that soon he would have to add play practice in with everything else. He went to his usual seat in the audience and waited for Sharpay to arrive from her English class.

His knee was bouncing impatiently up and down as he waited for her, anxious to see her. In the past few weeks, Troy had really enjoyed their time together. They sat beside each other during class and usually hung out afterward in her dorm room. They would work on homework together or just talk, about anything and everything. Troy learned more about Sharpay in the past few weeks than he had in the 13 years he spent with her during grade school. He found out that she was actually very intellectual and brave. He realized that, at East High, she had worn a mask, played a role. She was the "Ice Queen" because that's what people wanted her to be. College helped her to break out of that role and become the Sharpay she wanted to be. A Sharpay that Troy found he liked very much.

As Troy was becoming better educated about Sharpay, he was also becoming afraid. He spent a dangerous amount of time thinking about her, time that he should be using to think about his girlfriend. He loved Gabriella. He had given a lot of thought to marrying her. Once they graduated college, they would settle down together, have little Troys and Gabriellas running around. That was still what he wanted.

_Right?_ he thought.

His thoughts were answered by his heart starting to race as he looked up and saw Sharpay enter the auditorium. She wore a cute pink top with jeans and high heels, her hair down and bouncing around her shoulders as she walked. She sat down beside him, planting a small kiss on his cheek.

"Hey there, Hoops! Are you excited for the play try-outs today?"

He shrugged. "I guess so. I mean, I am. I just have school work AND basketball practice, too. It's a lot to do. Are you excited?"

She smiled wide and nodded, her excitement apparent in her face.

Monsieur Edward called the class to attention and explained that everyone would have to wait out in the hallway until their appointed audition time. The class filed out of the auditorium and Troy and Sharpay found a spot near the doors to sit and wait until their time to go back in.

Sharpay was up before Troy, confidently strolling in for her audition. She came back out moments later, smiling wide. She sat back down beside him.

"It's in the bag," she said, winking at him.

Troy didn't feel as sure of himself as he walked in for his audition. He walked onto the stage and recited the same monologue all of the boys had to say. He did his best to put his heart into it, reminding himself of how much he wanted to do the theatre thing. Monsieur Edward thanked him, smiling, and dismissed him. Troy left the stage and went back to Sharpay, who was waiting in the hallway with an anxious look on her face.

"So. How did you do?"

He smiled softly at her, trying to appear more confident than he really was. "Great! It's in the bag," he said, smiling wider.

That night, Troy and Sharpay lay side-by-side on her bed. They had been talking in her room since they left the auditions.

"What if you get Romeo and I get Juliet?" she asked, looking over at him, smiling wide.

He kept his eyes on the ceiling and shrugged. "I don't know. I guess that would be pretty cool, huh?" He looked over at her, meeting her eyes. He was happy to note that she lost a lot of that crazy intensity he used to see so much of in high school. She was so much calmer around him now and he was much more comfortable around her.

"We'll have to start practicing our kissing," she informed him.

He laughed once, reaching up to rub the back of his neck softly, and looking at the ceiling again. "We'll just cross that bridge when we get there, ok?" he asked, looking back at her.

She smiled softly and nodded once. She rolled over onto her side, laying her head on his chest. Troy swallowed hard and carefully put his arm around her.

"You're so cozy, Troy. Just like home."

He smiled softly at that and rested his head against hers. When he was this close, he could smell her shampoo in her hair—strawberries. His heart fluttered in his chest at the scent, forcing him to take a few calming breaths. He fully buried his nose in her hair, now, taking the scent deep into his lungs. She smelled different than Gabriella. Not in a bad way, just different. Gabriella didn't smell like much; soap, perhaps, or plain cleanliness. Not like this. Sharpay distinctly smelled of strawberries. Troy couldn't get enough of it.

He was suddenly aware of the way her body was against his. He noticed how different it was than when Gabriella laid beside him. That felt normal, easy. This felt electric. He could feel her breathing evening out as she fell asleep. He took this chance to look at the way her body fit against his. It looked different than when his girlfriend was beside him, but it still felt right. He took in a deep breath and looked at the ceiling, confusing himself with all of his thoughts of Sharpay and Gabriella mixed together.

Troy woke up before he knew he had even fallen asleep. He felt a blanket covering his body. The pure pink-ness of it reminded him that he was in Sharpay's room. He covered himself up to his head and buried his face in her pillow. He could smell the strawberries again, causing the butterflies in his stomach to act up. He let out a soft whimper but cut it short when he heard the door open.

Sharpay came into the room, humming softly to herself. Troy caught the distinct smell of soap coming from her. He peeked out from under the blanket, taking just a small look. He found Sharpay with just a towel wrapped around her torso, her blonde hair wet and flowing down her back. He swallowed hard, knowing that he should look away, but his eyes were glued to her. Her skin was lighter than Gabriella's, but still tan from the New Mexico sun. She was taller than his girlfriend and thinner in some places where Gabriella wasn't. But not really by much, he decided. And she was certainly fuller in some places, he noticed. Particularly the chest area.

He watched her as she sat down at her desk, which also appeared to be a makeshift vanity she created for herself. She brushed her hair out and then went to her dresser. Suddenly, the towel fell as she searched for undergarments. Troy's eyes widened as he unexpectedly saw more of Sharpay than he ever had before. He pulled his eyes away reluctantly, and looked down, then pretended to stir as if he was waking up. He heard her grab something out of her closet.

"Hey, sleepy head."

He pulled the blanket down, rubbed his eyes sleepily, and looked at her again, finding her in a robe now. He smiled at her.

"Hey," he said, faking a yawn. "I can't believe we fell asleep."

She smiled cutely and shrugged. "No biggie. It's still early. Do you have classes today?"

He nodded and sat up, running his fingers through his hair a few times to fix it. "Yeah, I do. I should probably get to my room and change. I'll see you at 3, right? When Edward posts who made what in the play."

She nodded. When he stood up to leave, she went to him and gave him a small hug.

"See you later, Troy."

"See ya," he said, his voice a little shaky. He left her room and went down to his own, opening the door to find Chad at his desk.

"Hey, man."

"'Hey, man'?" Chad asked, his voice on the edge of anger. "Where the hell have you been?"

Troy frowned. "I fell asleep in Sharpay's room. Sorry, _Mom_."

Chad rolled his eyes. "Don't give me that shit. Are you cheating on Gaby?" He was definitely angry now.

Troy looked at him surprise. "Wh-…? No! We were just hanging out. And since when do you call her "Gaby"?"

Chad shook his head, gathering up his things. "Forget it, man. Just be careful."

"What? Be careful?"

Chad had already left, slamming the door behind himself again. Troy sat on the edge of his bed, staring at the door, not understanding what in the hell was happening around him lately.

At 3 o'clock, Troy went to the auditorium and found Sharpay and many of their classmates waiting for the audition results. Troy smiled softly at her and went to stand beside her as Monsieur Edward came onto the stage with a piece of paper in his hand.

"I will now announce who will be lucky enough to be in our fall play," he said extravagantly. "And remember: there are no small parts, only small actors." He laughed at himself as he always did before clearing his throat. "For the role of Juliet, we have…"

Sharpay grabbed Troy's hand, holding it tightly. He looked over at her, surprised, but her eyes were glued to Edward.

"…Sharpay Evans!"

She let out a happy squeal and threw her arms around Troy. He laughed softly and patted her back. "Congrats, Pay," he said, looking up at Edward anxiously.

Edward smiled warmly at Sharpay before continuing. "The role of dear Romeo will be played by… Conner Stewart!"

There were appreciative claps around Conner, a blonde kid who was always stuck up Edward's ass. Troy was pretty sure he was at least a sophomore. Sharpay looked up at Troy, frowning a bit.

"Are you disappointed?" she whispered to him.

He shrugged. "A little, but you'll be great! He will be, too."

Troy sort of listened as Edward continued down the list—Romeo's parents, Juliet's parents, Tybalt. "And Romeo's best friend, Mercutio, will be played by Troy Bolton!"

Sharpay gave him another small hug. "Way to go, Hoops."

"Thanks," he said, grateful to be in the play, but not as the center of attention.

Edward continued on for what felt like fifteen minutes, rolling off names of characters and students. Troy didn't pay attention again until he heard the professor say his name.

"…will be Troy Bolton and the understudy for Juliet will be Abigail Kusanagi. That is all, thespians! See you all at play practice tomorrow afternoon!"

Troy furrowed his brow and looked at Sharpay. "Wait, what did he say?"

Troy felt a hard pat on his shoulder and he turned to see Conner standing behind him.

"He said that you're my understudy. Not to worry, though, Bolton. Me having an understudy is a joke. In three years of theatre here, I've never missed a performance. Ever."

He narrowed his eyes almost threateningly at Troy and then smiled cutely at Sharpay before turning and walking away to go talk to Edward.

Troy raised his eyebrows and turned back around to look at Sharpay. "Wow. Have fun with that guy."

She laughed and hit his arm playfully. "Ha ha, Hoops. You've gotta be his best friend. Come on," she said, linking her arm in his. "Let's go get a celebratory dinner. My treat."


	5. Chapter 5 Surprises

A/N: Thanks so much for the awesome reviews! I love to hear all of your predictions. The fate of these characters isn't quite sealed, so your reviews kind of help me make future decisions. Please keep reading and reviewing. I think there will be at least 3 or 4 more chapters and an epilogue coming and I hope to get them up soon! Thanks again!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Surprises

Several weeks later, it was mid-October and things were starting to fall in place for Troy. The Red Hawks were kicking ass, the fall play was coming together, and he was able to see his girlfriend more often. Gabriella had come down every Sunday and they would spend the day together, doing homework and just being together. During the week, Troy spent almost all of his free time with Sharpay. They would run lines together or just hang out, which was Troy's favorite thing to do. When he was at basketball practices, she would go down to East High and help with their theatre program, just as she promised. She had been over excited the past two days because Juilliard's fall break was sooner than U of A's, meaning that Ryan would come to visit, bringing his boyfriend with him. It was a Friday night and during play rehearsal when Troy realized that he probably wouldn't see much of Sharpay over the next few days.

"We think we're going to spend the weekend with my parents," she rambled on quietly, not wanting to interrupt the practice that was happening on stage. "My parents are just going to love him. They've always been so supportive of Ryan and me."

Troy nodded, letting her know that he was listening, but he wasn't really participating in the conversation. Sharpay had become such an essential part of his daily life. He couldn't imagine going a day without seeing her now. These thoughts brought on even more realization as he thought of Thanksgiving break and then Christmas break. His family had taken a trip every Christmas break since he was seven. This year probably wouldn't be any different. How would Troy handle that?

She reached over and touched his leg softly, startling him. He looked over at her quickly, finding her face full of concern. "What?" he asked quietly.

"Are you all right?" she whispered. "You look like someone just ran over your puppy."

Troy furrowed his brow a bit before smiling wide. "I'm fine, just thinking about the play. Sorry, I got distracted."

She shook her head, smiling now. "Gee, thanks, Hoops. I'm glad to know that what I'm saying is so important to you."

The play rehearsal continued on, finally needing to include Troy and Sharpay in their roles. It was ten o'clock when Monsieur Edward finally let them go. Practice was only scheduled until nine, but lately he had been keeping them later and later. Troy walked Sharpay to her room just like he did every night. When they stepped off of the elevator, however, Sharpay let out a squeal as she ran towards her door. Troy furrowed his brow before he looked down the hall and saw Ryan and his boyfriend, Shawn, waiting at her door. He swallowed hard and went down to join them, not wanting Sharpay taken from him sooner than he anticipated.

"Ry! I've missed you!" she squealed, giving him a big hug. "Shawn! I missed you, too," she said as she hugged him as well. "Shawn, this is my best friend, Troy Bolton. Troy, this is Shawn."

Troy was taken completely aback by her introduction. She considered him as her best friend. Before he could think about it any longer, Ryan's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"It's good to see you again, Troy."

Troy smiled at him, reaching out for a handshake. "You, too, Ryan. It's nice to meet you, Shawn," he said as he reached over to shake his hand as well.

Sharpay clapped excitedly as she finally opened the door. "Come on in, everyone!"

Ryan and Shawn followed her in, but Troy waited in the doorway. "I think I'm just going to head back down to my room, guys. Thanks, though."

Sharpay furrowed her brow and went over to him, standing close. "Are you sure? Do you feel okay?"

"I'm fine. Just tired, Pay," he said softly. Even though his voice was low, the pet name did not go unnoticed by Ryan, who raised his eyebrows in surprise at it.

Sharpay smiled softly. "Okay, Hoops. Sleep tight. I'll see you at practice tomorrow." She looked at him for a moment before pulling him into a hug.

"Sweet dreams," he breathed into her ear, though he was surprised by the hug. He pulled back and reached his hand up to rub the back of his neck. "Good night, guys!"

They waved as he shut the door behind himself. He went down to his own room to find a message from Chad on their dry erase board, saying that he was out at a party. Troy sighed softly and sprawled out on his bed, staring at the ceiling. He looked up at the stars that he and Chad had put up. It felt like forever ago to him; when he and Chad were excited about being roommates and teammates, when Sharpay hadn't come into the picture and made things so…complicated.

Troy woke up the next morning, finding himself still fully clothed, lying on top of his still-made bed. He rolled over to see Chad in the next bed, his back to Troy, sleeping quietly. Troy was grateful that Chad was, at least, coming back and sleeping in his own bed. He hated to think about Chad staying with strange girls or people who don't have his best interests in mind, people who would try to hurt him. Troy got up and grabbed his shower stuff, going down the hall to the bathroom. He turned on the hot water and stepped in after removing his clothes. He stood with his hands against the wall, his head down, letting the water run through his hair and down his body. He closed his eyes, letting the water burn his skin slightly.

Sharpay's body almost immediately flooded his mind when he closed his eyes. He let out a shaky breath as he didn't push the image from his mind, giving in. He imagined pulling her to him, crushing their naked bodies together. His hand snaked down his own body to touch himself as he imagined lifting Sharpay up at the hips. In his mind, she wrapped her legs around him as they passionately kissed. He imagined himself entering her and his knees buckled slightly as he pictured her wrapped around him in this way. He fucked her against the shower wall as she cried out his name, her hands buried in his hair. He leaned forward, putting his face to her neck, sucking on it hungrily. He could smell the strawberry shampoo in her hair. Troy let go of all his cares and just allowed himself to feel as he quickly came inside of her.

Troy brought himself back to reality as he leaned against the shower wall for support. He opened his eyes and swallowed hard, this new fantasy affecting him differently than his others. He always imagined Gabriella, always. Whenever his mind conjured the image of a naked Sharpay, he fought against it. Today, however, he let himself experience the fantasy. He was still shaking slightly as he cleaned his body and hair. He got out of the shower and made his way back to his room, where he found Chad working on his homework at his desk.

"Hey, man," he said as he stepped into the closet to get dressed. "Do you have big plans for today?"

Chad answered from his spot on the other side of the room. "No, I'm just gonna catch up on homework. I don't think I'm gonna party tonight." He laughed softly. "I'm too hung over from last night."

Troy furrowed his brow and let that comment slide, not wanting to start a fight. "Well, that's good. Maybe we can just hang together when I get out of play rehearsals. We can play video games or something." He walked out of the closet, fully dressed now, towel drying his hair.

Chad looked over at him, smiling. "That sounds awesome. I've missed just hanging with you, man."

Troy smiled back at him. "I've missed it, too."

Chad looked back at his books, busying himself. "What time do you think you'll be getting back from rehearsals?"

Troy sprayed himself with Clinique Happy a few times before looking over at him. "Unfortunately, it'll probably be late, ten or so. He's been keeping us later and later. We could grab a bite to eat after, if you want. And then I'll kick your ass at Halo."

Chad laughed and shook his head. "You wish, Bolton. It's on!"

Troy laughed with him. "Yeah, yeah. We'll see." He left their room, in a great mood, glad to see that things between Chad and himself were getting back to normal. He went straight to the school's auditorium where he found Sharpay giving Ryan and Shawn a tour of the stage. He sat down in the audience, just watching her, smiling. He finally cleared his throat, going up to the edge of the stage.

"Troy!" she yelled, excited. "I was just showing Ryan and Shawn around our stage!"

Troy laughed softly. "That's great. I'm sure it looks a lot different from other ones they've seen before."

Shawn and Ryan laughed and Sharpay hit Troy's arm playfully, kneeling down on the stage to be able to reach him better. "Don't be a jerk, Bolton."

Troy raised his eyebrows at that. "'Bolton'? That's new…"

She smiled softly now, rubbing the spot where she slapped him. "Sorry, Hoops," she said softly.

He looked up at her, their eyes meeting, and Troy unexpectedly had the urge to kiss Sharpay. He felt as if he had lost control of his body as his hand reached up to touch her neck softly, everything suddenly moving in slow motion. He intertwined his fingers in the hair at the base of her neck. His eyes scanned her face and he could see the realization of what was coming in her eyes. He pulled her down just slightly, pulling her towards his mouth, so close, before the doors to the auditorium burst open. Troy pulled his hand away quickly as if Sharpay's hair had burnt him. He looked at Monsieur Edward and Conner as they chatted excitedly about some Broadway show. He didn't look back at Sharpay as he went to sit in the audience, his mind reeling.

He kept his eyes on the stage as Sharpay, Ryan, and Shawn joined him the in audience. He didn't look at Sharpay, but he could feel her next to him. He could feel the electricity pulsing between them. Every cell in Troy's body wanted to reach out and grab her, but Troy's mind kept him firmly in place.

Rehearsals quickly got underway. Everything was all business, no nonsense as they worked non-stop until lunch. Even lunch seemed hurried as Edward kept reminding them of how much time they had left until lunch was over. Troy stayed unusually quite during lunch, just listening to Sharpay talk to her brother and Shawn. When lunch ended, it was time for Troy to rehearse his death scene. They ran through it several times, each time ending with Conner having something to say quietly about Troy's performance, some way that he could "improve" his acting skills. Troy thought he was going to punch Conner if he said one more thing, but he didn't get the chance, unfortunately, because after the fifth run of the scene, Edward was ready for Sharpay and Conner to work together.

Troy took Sharpay's place next to Ryan, fuming from Conner's comments. After a few moments, he was finally calm as he watched Sharpay up on stage. He felt Ryan lean towards him.

"You don't know how much you've affected my sister," he whispered, keeping his eyes on the stage.

Troy kept still, not quite sure what Ryan meant by that. "Uh…Is that a good thing?" he asked nervously.

Ryan let out a breathy laugh and nodded. "It's a very good thing. You have no idea how much separation anxiety she felt when I moved to New York. It really messed her up. Never, ever repeat this, but…" he looked at Troy now, his face serious. Troy looked back into Ryan's eyes as he continued. "I know that my sister contemplated..." he paused as he struggled with the thought. "…suicide."

Troy widened his eyes and a tired, lonely Sharpay flooded his mind, quickly followed by Sharpay's dead eyes from his dream. He shivered, pushing the images away quickly.

"I had…no idea," Troy said, his voice breaking.

Ryan shook his head and continued. "I thought for sure I was going to have to come home or fly her out to be with me. But then, all of a sudden," he smiled now, "things were ok. She sounded happier on the phone and when she came to New York to visit, she wouldn't shut up about you. She has a new life about her, something I haven't seen since high school. And it's all thanks to you, Troy. So, thanks." He held out his hand for Troy to shake.

Troy looked at it a moment before shaking his hand, still trying to comprehend all that Ryan just told him. "You're welcome, I guess." He laughed once nervously. He swallowed hard and then spoke again. "Sharpay has meant so much to me, too, you know? She's become a great friend that I never saw coming. And, to be completely honest with you, I think that I might—"

He was cut off by the sound of Sharpay screaming. He looked to the stage quickly, afraid. He saw her standing on the makeshift balcony, looking down at Conner's body on the ground. Edward was kneeling beside him. "Someone call 911!" he called out.

Troy jumped up onto the stage and went to Sharpay as she quickly climbed down from the balcony. She ran to his arms, holding onto him tightly. He hugged her back and pulled away slightly to look at her face. "What happened?" he asked.

She shook her head, taking a few calming breaths, apparently very shaken up. "I don't know. He was just saying his lines and then he went totally pale and passed out."

Paramedics arrived quickly and took Conner to the hospital. Monsieur Edward wanted to go, so he cancelled the rest of practice for that day. Troy walked with Sharpay, Ryan, and Shawn back to Sharpay's room. As the boys went in, he grasped her arm softly enough to stop her. She turned around to look up at him.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice full of concern.

"I'm fine, Hoops; just a little shaken, you know? Thanks, though," she said, smiling up at him.

He smiled back at her. "Okay, good. Have fun back at home tonight. Tell your parents I said hello. I'll see you Monday, right?"

"You bet," she said while nodding. "Oh, and you should totally come down with me sometime, back to ol' East High. Those kids could learn a little about acting from you. Maybe next weekend?" She asked, looking hopeful.

He laughed. "Sounds like a plan. Be safe, Pay." He looked past her to the two young men in her room. "Take care, guys. It was nice meeting you, Shawn, and nice seeing you again, Ryan." Troy and the blonde boy shared a meaningful look before Troy left. He pushed Sharpay out of his mind as he walked down the hall, looking forward to a guy night with Chad.

He ran down the stairs and walked with purpose towards the door. He fumbled with the lock, having been taken by surprise by it, and opened the door to find Chad and Gabriella sitting on Chad's bed. Gabriella stood up quickly and smiled. "Troy! You're back early."

Troy raised his eyebrows and looked between them a few times. Chad and Gabriella shared a nervous look before looking back at him. A huge smile spread across Troy's face. He looked at Chad and pointed to him. "You planned this out for me, didn't you?" he asked as he went to them, wrapping his arms around Gabriella.

Chad laughed once and nodded. "Yep! You bet! I planned this all out for you. A slumber party!"

Troy looked down at his girlfriend and he kissed her softly. "You could have told me you were coming down."

She shrugged and rested her head against his chest, her face towards Chad. "We wanted to surprise you."

The trio went out for pizza and went back to their dorm room to play some video games. This time, they were all able to play without fighting. It got really late and everyone decided it was time to go to bed. Troy and Gabriella shared Troy's bed, holding onto each other, face to face. Troy smiled softly as he studied her face, but the furrowed his brow, frowning a bit.

Gabriella swallowed hard. "What is it, baby?"

"Your necklace," he said, touching her chest softly where the "T" necklace he gave her usually rested.

She widened her eyes and touched there as well. "Oh, no!" she said softly. "I…must've forgotten to put it back on after my shower." She seemed sincerely upset by the fact that she was missing it.

Troy kissed her forehead softly, kissing away the wrinkles of her furrowed brow. "It's okay, Gaby. I know that just because you aren't wearing it doesn't mean you don't still love me." He smiled down at her, cupping her face gently in his hand.

She nodded. "That's exactly right."

They fooled around quietly for about an hour before Gabriella complained about being tired. She was asleep quickly and Troy watched her sleep for the longest time before falling asleep himself.

The next day revolved around alternating homework and more video games. Again, Troy, Gabriella, and Chad got along well—no more fighting or strange looks from anyone. Troy held Gabriella close that night as they said their good byes. He kissed her lips passionately and held her in a tight hug.

"I won't be around next weekend," he said as he kissed the top of her head. "I'm going to stay with my parents Saturday night and check out stuff around East High."

She smiled up at him, not fazed by this at all. "Okay. I have a lot to do around Stanford, anyway. Have fun! Tell everyone I said hello."

"I will."

He kissed her once more before watching her walk down the hall and to the elevator. When she stepped on, he walked back into his room and lay down on his bed, relaxing. He decided, right then, that he would not spend any more time thinking about Sharpay as anything more than a friend. He liked her, but he knew it was just friendship between them. He knew it would be hard, but he had to do it. Gabriella was the love of his life and he was going to marry her and be with her forever. While he thought this, however, Troy ignored the way it felt like he had to convince himself that this was what he wanted.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Ending Notes: Wow! I think this is my longest chapter thus far! Yay! I'm going to go work out now. Hopefully, I'll get some great reviews while I'm gone and I'll be motivated enough to start chapter six!! Thanks again to everyone who has been reviewing. You're all so sweet and I'm writing this story for you.


	6. Chapter 6 Right and Wrong

A/N: Aha! Chapter six! I think many of you will be very happy with this chapter. Before we begin, I want to give a couple of **shout outs**:

Anne Bell: Thanks for catching the name slip. It should be fixed now. And, yes, I do love Sharpay.

fickle writer: I hope that you had a nice work out! I haven't worked out since. : (

Aledda: Yes, a world without Sharpay WOULD be horrific. I hope we never see that day.

neila cross: I love, LOVE your long, non-rambling reviews. They make me smile. : )

Also, I'm thinking about starting a Twitter account. Does anyone have one/think I should get one? If I got one, would you follow me?

Lastly, disclaimer: I didn't write Romeo and Juliet (duh.) Billy Shakespeare did. So those words are his.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Right and Wrong

The next Friday came before Troy could blink and he found himself spending Friday night with Sharpay in his dorm room, packing for the small trip home that they were taking. She lounged on his bed, watching him walk around the small bedroom, straightening up as he went along.

"I can't wait for you to see all of the work I've put into the play. It's probably going to be one of the best shows ever. Except, of course, for the shows I was in."

Troy rolled his eyes and smiled at her, shaking his head at the arrogance that he still saw time and again. He sat down on the floor in between the two beds, reaching for the duffle bag that was under his bed.

"And, of course, it won't be exactly like the shows I was in. But I have to admit, Tiara is pretty good when she isn't being a snobby, two-faced little—…Hey. What's that?" She looked down at the thing in Troy's hand that he had just pulled out from under his bed.

He held it up for her to see—it was Gabriella's "T" necklace, still clasped with the chain broken on one side. He kept his eyes on it as he stood up and sat beside Sharpay on the bed.

She gasped softly. "Gabriella's necklace."

He nodded. "She said she left it at home after her shower," he whispered, unable to speak with much volume. His brow was furrowed with confusion.

Sharpay took it carefully. "It looks like it's broken, like it was taken off without using the clasp. It's almost as if it was pulled off." She looked up at Troy, studying his face. "You ok? I think I can fix it."

He nodded slowly and then looked over at her, smiling softly. "Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks." He stood up and started to move around the room again, pulling a few pieces of clothing from his dresser and putting them into his duffle bag. When he finished packing his things and cleaning his room, he plopped back onto his bed beside Sharpay. She had watched him carefully almost the entire time.

"I should probably go back to my room and pack up. I can't decide what to wear tomorrow and Sunday, so I'll probably pack a lot," she said as she stood up, looking serious.

He smiled at her. "It must be so hard to have so many perfect outfits for one day."

She raised her eyebrows, her face lighting up. "Troy Bolton. I think you finally understand me." She smiled wide and winked at him. "Sleep tight, Hoops. Meet me in my room at 10 tomorrow morning, ok?"

He nodded and waved cutely. "I'll see you then, Pay. Sweet dreams."

She blew him a kiss before shutting the door behind herself. Troy relaxed back on his bed, putting his arms behind his head and sighing softly. He tried not to think about the necklace, distracting himself with worries surrounding the next day, feeling anxious about going back to East High.

The next morning, he picked up his duffle bag and turned to Chad who was sitting on his bed, twirling a basketball. "I'll see you Monday morning in math, ok?" he asked. He pointed at him, jokingly stern. "Don't go getting yourself in trouble, you hear? Don't let any girls leave their panties lying around!"

Chad laughed loudly and threw the ball at him playfully. Troy caught it with ease.

Chad shook his head. "I doubt I'll be doing much with any girls while you're gone. I'll probably spent most of my time on the court, getting ready for the big game."

Troy nodded. "Good plan. You've been looking a little stiff out there," he said, raising his eyebrows a bit and throwing the ball back to Chad.

"Just get out of here, Bolton, before I kick your ass! And tell everyone I said hello, ok?" he added softly.

Troy smiled at him and nodded again. "You got it. See you on Monday."

He left and took the elevator up to Sharpay's floor. When he got to her room, he found the door propped open with three suitcases. Troy widened his eyes.

"Holy crap! You weren't joking! Pay, you don't need all of this stuff!"

She stood up from her desk, turning her computer off. "Listen, Hoops. I promise you that I need everything in these suitcases. So, just help me with them, ok?" She smiled cutely. He found it hard to resist.

"Fine. Come on!"

He helped her carry the suitcases out to the parking lot. Before long, the pair was on the interstate, making the relatively short trip home in his truck. On the way, she found her favorite station and started bopping to it a bit, singing along quietly. He watched her out of the corner of his eye, bending the boundaries he had carefully put into place. He had tried his best over the past few days to think of Sharpay as only a friend, setting up mental boundaries that would keep him from thinking of her in any other way. So far, it had been working, but he felt like this weekend would be a real test.

They exited the interstate and it was only a couple of miles until they pulled up to the gates surrounding Sharpay's white, large house. She unbuckled her seatbelt and reached across him to punch in the code on the security keypad so that the gates would open for them. He looked away, as if not wanting to see the code, but he really was avoiding looking at Sharpay's body against his. The gates started to open and she sat back down, clapping cutely and smiling. He smiled back at her, letting out a little chuckle, before driving onto the property.

The outside of the house was beautiful and well-maintained. Sharpay asked him to park his truck in the driveway behind the house. In the back, there was a large pool and a deck with a hot tub. Troy shook his head a bit. His house was very nice. His parents had worked really hard for it. This house, however, made him speechless.

They got out of his truck and he helped her with her suitcases again. She walked in and called out for her parents a few times, but no one answered. She looked crestfallen, but brushed it off, leading him upstairs to her bedroom. Troy was shocked by how pink it was. It looked a little empty, he thought, probably because her things were now in her dorm room. He set her suitcases down and shook his head.

"Amazing," he said softly.

She turned to look at him. "What?"

He smiled. "It is amazing how pink this room is. I thought your room at school was bad, but this…" he trailed off, still shaking his head.

"You know what, Hoops?" she asked, slowly advancing on him. "I am so tired of you picking on me!"

He backed away slowly, holding his hands up for defense. "I wasn't picking on you! I swear!"

She nodded. "Oh, yes, you were. And I am sick and tired of it!"

Suddenly, she sprang up at him. He laughed and caught her, but wasn't prepared enough for the way her body was suddenly against his. He stumbled backward, falling against her king size bed, laughing. She was suddenly straddling him on the bed, laughing, too. It took them a few moments to calm down and realize the position that they were in. Troy swallowed hard and sat up, holding on to her.

"We should probably get to school. I wanna see how this drama department runs without Sharpay Evans in the lead."

She smiled softly at him and stood up, straightening herself out a bit.

They left her house and drove to their old high school. He felt strange going back after having graduated. It was like trying to put on a glove that was a little too small—it didn't quite fit and left him feeling awkward. He could hear Miss Darbus' voice echoing through the hall from the auditorium as she carried on about something Troy couldn't understand. It made him smile.

When they walked in, everyone stopped and got excited. Miss Darbus calmed them all quickly and Sharpay set her things down, getting right to work with the students. Troy sat in the audience and watched her work with them, directing them. Another boundary crashed down as he checked out her body. He wished that short shorts and tall boots were illegal. She looked amazing in them, too amazing. Troy pulled his eyes away from her, looking at the other students to help keeping himself out of trouble. He easily picked out Tiara from the crowd. She was looking at Sharpay with her arms crossed, looking bored. She seemed so annoyed with Sharpay, but Troy found that she was dressed so much like her. He let out a soft, short laugh at that.

A few hours later, the play practice ended and a lot of the high school students came up to talk to him. He chatted with them for a while as Sharpay and Miss Darbus talked. Soon, the kids left and Troy went over to the ladies.

"So, Mr. Bolton," Miss Darbus said as she looked at him with her eyebrows raised. "Sharpay tells me that the big opening night is in just two short weeks."

He nodded. "Yeah, it is. I'm feeling pretty excited about it." He smiled at her.

She smiled back and looked at him from over the top of her glasses. "Good. I'm so glad to hear it."

The three talked for just a while longer before Troy and Sharpay left, getting a bite to eat at a local burger place. Across the street from the restaurant was a small park with a playground. Sharpay looked at Troy excitedly.

"Can we please go over there? It would be so much fun!" She sounded just like a six-year-old.

He laughed and nodded. "Sure, Pay. We can go. But only if you finish your food!"

They finished eating and then went over to the park. There were a few other groups of little kids there. Sharpay and Troy stayed out of their way at first, but it wasn't long before they were all playing together. Troy had lost track of time until the kids starting dispersing with their parents. He looked at the sky to see that the sun was going down.

"Whoa. We've been here a long time," he said from the ground.

Sharpay's voice came from above him. "Romeo, Romeo. Wherefore art thou, Romeo?"

He turned slowly to look up at her, smiling softly.

She looked down at him from her makeshift balcony, smiling back before looking up at the sky and continuing.

"Deny thy father and refuse thy name. Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love and I'll no longer be a Capulet."

Troy licked his lips quickly before speaking, keeping his eyes on her. "Shall I hear more? Or shall I speak at this?"

She smiled wider, but didn't look down at him, staying in character. "'Tis but thy name that is my enemy; thou art thyself, though not a Montague. What's Montague? It is nor hand, nor foot, nor arm, nor face, nor any other part belonging to a man. Oh, be some other name! What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. So, Romeo would, were he not Romeo called, retain that dear perfection which he owes without that title. Romeo, doff thy name, and for thy name, which is no part of thee. Take all myself."

Troy could tell that Sharpay had become so wrapped up in her words that she did not hear him quietly climbing up to her until he was standing right behind her.

"I take thee at thy word."

She jumped and turned around quickly to look at him. Troy looked back at her, his breathing shallow. He swallowed hard before going to her slowly. He took in a deep breath and then pulled her in for a tight hug.

"You make a beautiful Juliet, Pay," he whispered into her hair after several long moments, taking in the now-familiar strawberry scent.

She laughed softly and it sounded relieved, but shaky, as if she had been holding her breath. "Thanks, Hoops."

He pulled away and smiled at her, but the smile was tense. He felt an undeniable tension between them now. He looked at her face and he could see that she was feeling it, too. Her breathing was slightly heavy and she had her bottom lip pulled cutely between her teeth.

"We should probably get back home," she said softly.

He agreed and they walked back to his truck. The drive back to her parents' house was quiet and electric. He was sure that she had to feel it, too. When they arrived, they went inside to find that her parents were still gone. They went upstairs to her bedroom and Troy sat down on her bed, sighing.

"You okay, Hoops?" she asked as she moved around her room, rearranging things on her shelves to keep herself busy.

He nodded. "Yeah, I'm great. I'm just tired after all of this theatre business." He smiled at her.

She laughed and shook her head. The circle that she had made around the perimeter of her room suddenly led her to him. He looked up at her, biting both of his lips gently.

Troy felt himself losing control. He stood up and was now looking down at her beautiful face. He reached up to bury his fingers in the hair at the base of her neck as he had once before. He knew that the only thing that could stop him at this point was himself. He leaned down and gently brushed his lips against hers before kissing her sweetly. He felt all of the protective barriers explode into nonexistence as she kissed him back. He wrapped his free arm around her body, crushing her to him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling herself onto the tips of her toes. He picked her up, wrapping her legs around his body without breaking their kiss. He ran his tongue lightly against her bottom lip, asking for permission. She eagerly obliged, her tongue meeting his in such a way that it made him let out a soft moan.

Troy suddenly couldn't get enough of her. Her mouth tasted sweet and she kissed like an expert even though Troy couldn't recall her ever having a boyfriend. He sat down on the bed, returning to the compromising position they were in several hours earlier. She broke from the kiss to pull her top up over her head. He took in the gorgeous sight in front of his eyes. She wore a bubblegum pink bra with little rhinestones on the straps. It was so unlike what Gabriella wore, he noticed. As he thought that, he furrowed his brow. Before he could think anymore about Gabriella, Sharpay was kissing him again, her chest pressed against his. He let out another soft moan as her hands slid up his shirt, over his chest. He rested his hands on her butt, squeezing it gently. He felt something poking out of her left, back pocket as he ran his hand over it. It didn't feel like paper or anything else he could think of that she could possibly have back there. He chuckled softly against her mouth as he reached in to get it, unable to figure out what it was.

His fingers wrapped around the chain of Gabriella's necklace and he pulled it out slowly. Sharpay's mouth went still against his and she gently pulled away to look at his face. He brought the necklace, still broken, in between their bodies so that he could get a close look at it. He remembered giving it to her the night before because she said she could fix it. He had wanted her to fix it so that he could give it back to Gabriella—Gabriella, who was at Stanford, working hard and being faithful to him, and who was under the impression that he was spending time at home with his parents and not fooling around with Sharpay. He furrowed his brow as if he was in pain and Sharpay watched his face as she slid off of him to sit beside him on the bed.

Troy stood up, keeping his eyes on the necklace. His voice was so soft when he spoke that Sharpay had to strain to hear it.

"Can you still fix this?" he asked.

She nodded slowly and he handed it to her. "Troy, I-…"

He cut her off. "Sharpay, this was a mistake."

She looked up at him, her eyes slightly wide.

He kept his eyes on the necklace that rested in her hand. He let out a shaky breath before continuing. "I shouldn't have kissed you. I like you a lot…as a friend. I can't be unfaithful to Gaby. She…" he stopped, struggling to find words. "She's my girlfriend and I love her. This shouldn't have happened. It was wrong. It's not your fault. I shouldn't have let myself get carried away. I'm sorry."

He finally took his eyes off of her hand to look up at her face. He could see the tear streaks down both of her cheeks, her chin trembling.

Tears filled his eyes at that. "Pay. Pay, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to-…"

"Don't," she interrupted, her voice weak. She cleared her throat and spoke again, stronger this time. "I think you should go."

He looked at her for a long moment before nodding slowly. He turned and left her room, unable to shake the look on her face from his mind. He drove his truck to his parents' house and said little to them as he went to his bedroom. He collapsed onto his bed where he barely slept that night. He watched the sun come up and decided he couldn't lie in bed any longer.

He got up and went to the treadmill they had in their small exercise room, starting to run. He felt numb inside, unable to think. He ran for a long time before stopping and getting into the shower. He spent fifteen minutes just standing under the hot water until his brain started to work again, the numbness wearing off. He washed up and went back into his bedroom to get dressed. He had just finished blow drying his hair when he heard his mother call out to him.

"Troy! Honey! Sharpay is here to see you!"

Troy felt his heart skip a beat. He quickly fixed his hair and went out into the kitchen where Sharpay was talking with his mother. His eyes scanned her quickly. She looked normal, but to his well-trained eye, he could see that she had gotten about as much sleep as he had. She looked at him and smiled sadly before saying good bye to his mother and making her way outside. He followed her, his heart pounding in his chest.

She turned quickly to look at him. "Here," she said abruptly, wanting to hand him something.

He reached out and she placed the "T" necklace in his hand, now fixed. He smiled softly at her. "Thanks, Sharpay."

She nodded a couple of time before continuing. "My parents are going to drive me back tomorrow, so you don't have worry about it."

He furrowed his brow. "Pay, I don't mind taking you back to school. I mean, I have to head back, too."

She shook her head, her face emotionless. "No. It's really all right. Thanks, though."

He just looked at her, speechless, wanting to reach out for her, but knowing that he shouldn't.

"I'll see you in class tomorrow, then?" he asked softly and hopefully.

She nodded once before offering a half-hearted wave and turning to leave.

Troy watched her leave and he winced as his chest started to faintly hurt. He rubbed it softly before turning around and going back into the house.

He tried to call Sharpay several times, but she never answered. He couldn't stand being so close to her, yet unable to speak to her. He sat with his parents for a few hours, watching TV, before deciding to just head back to school, using homework as an excuse. He got into his truck, heading back to school. It started to rain and he shook his head, smiling humorlessly as the weather mirrored his emotions. By the time he reached the university, there was a serious storm overhead. He ran into the residence hall, shaking the rain out of his hair. He left his bag in the car, not wanting to bother with it. He walked up the two flights of stairs to his dorm room slowly, trying to think of an excuse as to why he was back so early. He opened the door to his room with ease, but what he saw made his heart stop.

Gabriella was naked and moving on top of Chad, his blankets pulled up around her waist. She moaned and twisted as he fucked her, oblivious to the fact that they now had an audience. She balanced herself on him, riding him hard. Troy felt faint, as if he might pass out. He flipped the lights on, startling the couple on the bed beside the window.

Gabriella jumped away from Chad, nearly falling off of the bed. She wrapped the blanket around her naked body, covering herself. Chad sat up, his eyes wide. He grabbed his discarded boxers from the floor and pulled them on. Troy just stared at them and no one spoke for a long moment.

Gabriella's voice was soft when she finally spoke. "Troy, w-….I can explain…"

He looked at her fiercely, shutting her up with the look on his face. She swallowed hard and sat back, looking at Chad.

Troy finally spoke to them, his voice low and rough. "How long?"

"Troy, man, we didn't want-…" Chad started, but Troy interrupted him.

"How long?" he asked again, angrier.

Gabriella spoke again. "Almost a year…It started last Christmas…"

Troy's mind started reeling. He thought about his family vacation to Colorado, where they usually went. While he was in the mountains, missing her, she was in Albuquerque with Chad.

"Did you guys fuck then?" he asked harshly.

The sound of his voice made her flinch before nodding slowly.

He closed his eyes tightly. "So, our first time," he started, opening his eyes to look at her now. "Our first time wasn't your first time, was it?"

She looked back at him, shaking her head now.

He nodded and looked at Chad, who was looking down at the floor. He clenched his jaw and tightened his fists, wanting to punch him. He took in a couple of deep breaths, not wanting to get kicked off of the basketball team for breaking Chad's face.

"Troy, baby, I'm so sorry. I never wanted to hurt you. I swear," Gabriella said, sadly, but the emotion in her voice meant nothing to Troy. He shook his head at them.

"I hope the two of you will have a nice life together. I hope it was worth it."

He turned to leave. He heard them both call out to him but he ignored them as he walked down the hallway. He went back out to his truck, not bothering to run this time. He let the rain soak through his clothes. It took him several tries to get his truck started and he contemplated just staying on campus, sleeping the parking lot. Thankfully, it finally started and he got back onto the interstate, back on his way to his parents' house.

He sat in their driveway for a long time, just staring out the window. The numbness had returned. When he went into the house, his parents watched him, worried. He simply walked into his bedroom and shut the door. He walked right to his bed and collapsed onto it. All of the events of the past two days crashed over his body and Troy felt immense pain. He felt angry and sad, but no tears came. It continued to storm and he watched the clock beside his bed tick time away until finally, hours later, he succumbed to the sleep that his mind was aching for.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

End Notes: You guys are lucky! I seriously worked on this chapter for four hours and I almost cut it off when Troy returned to his dorm room, but you didn't know what he was seeing (but you could probably guess). But I decided not to do that to you. Sorry it's up so late. Also, sorry if it's terribly written because it's so late. Let me know what you think!


	7. Chapter 7 Showtime

Showtime

Troy felt himself waking up, but he didn't open his eyes. He felt stiff and sore and couldn't remember where he was. He buried his face in his pillow and moved around a little, finding that he had more room than he was used to. Suddenly, everything came back to him. He let out a sorrowful groan as he opened his eyes and looked around his bedroom. Sunshine was pouring in from his window. His eyes searched until he found the clock beside his bed—3:30 p.m. He furrowed his brow—the time didn't seem right. He sat up to take a closer look at the clock. In the upper right hand corner, he saw the date: Monday, October 26.

Monday.

"Shit," he groaned. He had been asleep for nearly 24 hours. He had missed all of his Monday classes, including his theatre class where he would have seen Sharpay. He buried his face in his hands and frowned as he felt as if his heart was hurting, breaking inside of his chest. He furrowed his brow and looked up, staring out the window and contemplating the pain. He felt confused—he should be feeling this way because his girlfriend, ex-girlfriend, he corrected, had cheated on him. His heart should be breaking because the girl he thought was the love of his life could no longer be in his life.

He blinked a few times before all of the pieces finally fell into place inside of him. He didn't love Gabriella anymore. He hadn't really loved her for a long time. He loved the idea of being with her, because it was what he knew. It was what he expected.

Sharpay was unexpected.

He was in love with Sharpay.

He jumped up from his bed and ran to his truck, his mother calling out to him as he ran through the kitchen and out the back door. He got into his truck and looked around hurriedly for the keys. He looked over at his bag that was in the passenger seat, finding the keys and his cell phone, which was blinking to alert him that he had missed messages. He picked it up and flipped it open, hoping for some sign that Sharpay wanted to speak to him. He had seven missed calls: five from Gabriella and two from Chad. He erased their voicemail messages without even listening to them. He quickly dialed Sharpay's number, but she didn't answer. He tried two more times and when he was prompted to leave a message for the third time, he slammed his hand against the wheel.

He grabbed his keys and started the truck, sighing with relief as it roared easily to life. He drove too fast back to the university. He parked quickly and ran into the residence hall, running up the stairs because he was too impatient to wait for the elevator. He ran to Sharpay's room and knocked loudly on the door. He waited a few moments before knocking again, but she didn't answer. He sighed heavily, the adrenaline that was rushing through his veins now subdued. He stared at her door for a long time before walking away. He took the elevator now, down to his dorm room, knowing that Chad would be in class. He went in and flopped onto his bed, staring up at the ceiling.

That night, he tried to call Sharpay several more times, but she never answered. He went up to her room twice, but she either wasn't there or wouldn't answer the door. He saw Chad once as he opened the door, saw that Troy was there, and left abruptly. Troy didn't care to go after him. He would try to talk to someone tomorrow about switching rooms.

He slept terribly and the next day, the phone calls and the visits to Sharpay continued, still with no answer. When he wasn't in class, he was in his bedroom, trying to come up with some way to get her to talk to him. He spoke with a residential advisor, but the man said that he had to stay in his room until the semester was over. Thankfully, Chad had not come back since the night before.

The next day, Troy knew that he had to see Sharpay. There was no way he would miss their play practice that afternoon. He skipped basketball practice, not wanting to see Chad or have to cooperate with him in any way. He knew that his place on the team would be in jeopardy, but he didn't really care anymore. He went to the auditorium early to wait for her. Soon, his cast mates started to arrive and Troy watched them file in anxiously, wanting desperately to see her face. Monsieur Edward came in and called the students to order. Troy felt his heart sinking in his chest. He didn't pay attention as the professor carried on about the importance of the next nine days and how, very soon, things would come together. Troy drifted off so far that he didn't snap out of it until he heard her voice. He looked up quickly, following the sound to the stage.

Sharpay was standing on the stage beside Conner, who had told the story over and over again of how he fainted because of poor nutrition, but was going to "be brave" and continue on because "the show must go on" (as he put it). Troy felt it was because he would rather die than see someone else, especially Troy, play Romeo. The pair was holding hands and reciting their lines, gazing into each other's eyes. Troy looked Sharpay over carefully. He found that she looked well put together, looking much better than he felt. He didn't take his eyes off of her as she acted on stage. He noticed that, even when she wasn't speaking, she was very careful not to look out into the audience, careful not to look at him. When rehearsals ended, she grabbed her things, quickly heading for the door. He called out to her.

"Sharpay, wait!"

A few students stopped to look at him, surprised. Sharpay froze as well, standing beside the door. She turned to look at him, finally, a cold look on her face. She raised her eyebrows a bit.

"What?"

He swallowed hard and walked towards her. "Sharpay, I have to tell you…I'm so sorry. I was an idiot and I shouldn't have treated you that way. I-…"

She shook her head, cutting him off. "Apology accepted. Is that it?" She wasn't looking at him now. She looked around him or at the ground, but never at his face.

"No. No, that isn't it, Pay. I just-…I have to tell you that I-…I…"

"What?? You what, Troy?"

"I love you."

She looked up at him now, her eyes meeting his. He nodded slowly. "I love you, Pay. I have for a long time. It's just…taken me a while to figure it out."

Her chin started to tremble and she brought a hand up to cover her mouth to hide it. She blinked once and a few tears fell down her cheeks. He started to reach out to her, wanting to comfort her, but she shied away from him, taking a few steps backward.

She shook her head. "It's too late, Troy."

He furrowed his brow and tears filled his own eyes. "Sharpay. No. Come on, Pay. I'm sorry. I know I screwed up, but…I love you."

She just shook her head again, flinching a bit at those words. "Good bye, Troy." She turned swiftly and left the auditorium, leaving Troy and his broken heart behind her.

Troy stood and stared at the spot where she had been, silent tears rolling down his face. After a few moments, he wiped them away and walked up to his dorm room without really thinking about anything, numb again. He crawled into his bed and thought about all of the things he did wrong—he shouldn't have been so trusting with Gabriella or Chad, he should have taken all of the chances he had with Sharpay, chances that were now gone. He should have figured it out sooner. He should have told her that he loved her sooner.

He imagined what life with Sharpay would be like, had he been able to figure things out in time. He imagined their wedding. It was richer in detail and more beautiful than when he imagined it with Gabriella. He imagined what their children would look like and the house they would live in. He shook his head, shaking away the dreams. He knew that he should try and fix things with his basketball coach, since he missed three practices. But he didn't know what excuse he would give and he didn't want to see Chad, so he stayed in bed. He grabbed his iPod from his book bag and turned it on, turning the volume all of the way up, drowning out his thoughts until he fell asleep.

Eight days later, Troy was sitting in the auditorium, the night before opening night. This was the last rehearsal before the dress rehearsal the next afternoon. Everyone was a little dressed up because the cast was throwing a pre-opening party. Troy watched the actors from his seat, a bored look in his eyes. He had become an expert at hiding his emotions over the past week. He was cold and distant to everyone, only showing emotion when he acted on stage. As soon as his role was done, the same bored look crossed his face. He spent his days going to classes, practices, and rehearsals and then going to his dorm room. The basketball coach forgave him for missing the practices and Troy was professional when he had to deal with Chad, but never friendly. Chad tried to speak to him for the first few days, but finally packed a bag and started staying with one of their teammates.

Sharpay and Conner were on stage, finishing their death scene. When it was over, Monsieur Edward took the stage, wiping his eyes. He always cried when they did that scene.

"Attention, thespians! I congratulate you. You are now standing on the precipice. Well done." He clapped for them and several students joined him. He started speaking again when the applause died down. "I understand there is a small shindig going on tonight. I want you all to go and have a good time. I think it is fair, however, to let you know that I will be crashing and ending the party at eleven p.m. sharp!" This was met with a chorus of groans, but he just shook his head. "Tomorrow is a big day and I will not have my actors hung over or worse. Good night, all!"

The students dispersed, talking excitedly about the party that was being held in a common room at another residence hall. Troy wasn't going to go, but he changed his mind, hoping that it would do him some good.

He went to his room and changed quickly, putting on some cologne and fixing his hair. He arrived at the party to find it already in full swing. He looked around at everyone, his eyes scanning for Sharpay. He found her and sighed softly. She was dancing cutely with a couple of girls. He allowed himself to look her over quickly. She was wearing a short, silvery dress with matching shoes, her hair pulled up neatly into a messy bun, which was something Troy could never understand. He laughed softly at that, something that hadn't happened for a long time, and shook his head. When he went to look for her again, she was gone. He furrowed his brow, frowning. Surprisingly, he felt a soft tap on his shoulder and he turned around to find himself standing face to face with Sharpay. She smiled sadly at him.

"Hey, Hoops," she said softly.

His heart skipped a bit and he struggled to contain his emotions. "Hey, Sharpay. You look nice."

"This old thing?" She did a little turn, showing it off. She stopped when she faced him again, smiling wider.

He cracked a small smile and nodded.

She frowned a bit now, her face full of concern. "Troy, I-….I miss you."

He raised his eyebrows, looking hopeful. "You do?" he asked, his voice cracking.

She nodded. "I do. I wish that things hadn't ended the way that they had."

He swallowed hard. "Me, too." He paused, thinking for a moment, before continuing. "Are things really over, Pay? I never meant to hurt you. I was being such an idiot."

"Yeah, you were," she agreed. "You really hurt me, Troy. I don't know if I'll be able to heal some of these wounds." She didn't look at him. Her eyes were on the ground, her face serious.

"Can I at least try?" he asked softly. He grasped her chin and gently raised her head so that their eyes could meet.

She looked into his eyes for a long time, studying them. After a few moments, she nodded slightly. Troy could see the uncertainty in her eyes.

He smiled softly at her and leaned down, putting his lips to hers. Suddenly, he was filled with so much emotion and he put it all into the kiss. She kissed him back, passionately, wrapping her arms around his neck.

He pulled back after the kiss and took her hand. Together, they left the party and made their way to their own residence hall in silent anticipation. They rode in the elevator, only hearing the heavy breathing they shared. Sharpay led the way to her room, struggling to find her key in the small purse she carried. Troy stood behind her, his hands on her hips, his head bent to kiss on her exposed neck and shoulder.

She swallowed hard and smiled. "That's really not helping, Hoops."

He chuckled softly, but continued to kiss her. She finally got the door open and led him in, shutting and locking the door behind him. She wrapped her arms around his neck again, pulling him in for another passionate kiss. He kissed her back, his hands running all over her body. One hand went up her back, to her neck, and to her hair, where he pulled out the one clip that held her hair in place. It fell around her shoulders and he broke from her lips, kissing down her jawbone to her neck where he could bury himself in the sweet, strawberry scent. She let out a small whimper and he pulled back to look at her face.

She looked back into his eyes as he ran his hands over her shoulders, pushing her dress down her arms until he heard it hit the floor. They kept eye contact until she pulled his shirt over his head. He pulled her close again, his mouth on her neck and his hands running over her back. He unclasped her bra and threw it off to the side. He took a step back now to let his eyes worship her body. He smiled and looked at her, smiling wide. She smiled back at him.

He took her hand to lead her over to the bed, but she didn't move.

"Troy, wait," she said softly, sounding nervous now.

He furrowed his brow. "What's wrong?"

She shook her head gently. "Nothing is wrong. I just have to tell you…I think you should know…" He raised his eyebrows waiting. "I'm a virgin," she said, blushing a deep scarlet and looking away.

He smiled at her and gently pulled her face to look back at his. "Do you want me to stop?" he asked, hoping the answer was no.

She shook her head. "No. I just wanted you to know."

He nodded and kissed her lips softly. "Let me know if you want me to stop, ok?"

"Okay," she said breathlessly.

He took her hand again and led her to the bed. He sat her down gently and got onto his knees in front of her. He cupped her breasts for a moment before squeezing them softly, making her moan. He leaned in and attached his mouth to one, his tongue swirling over her nipple and his teeth nipping it softly when it got hard. His hand played with her other nipple, making it hard as well. After a few moments, he switched, his mouth giving attention to her other breast. Sharpay continued to moan above Troy, her hands buried in his hair, tugging, making him moan against her.

His mouth moved down from her breasts and he showered kisses over her stomach and hips. He kissed down her naked thighs, avoiding her most private area. He kissed down her right leg, down to her toes, before starting at her left foot and working his way up. She giggled softly. He looked up at her with only his eyes and the heated look in them silenced her. He hooked his fingers into the sides of her pink panties and she lifted herself slightly off of the bed to allow him to pull them down. He kept his eyes on her face as he used one finger to trace over her lips gently before entering her. She gasped loudly and closed her eyes, throwing her head back. He pulled his finger out and pushed it back in a few times before using his thumb to find the spot that would make her go crazy. When he touched her clit, she whimpered, her hips bucking towards him involuntarily. He smiled softly and slowly pulled his hand away. She pouted and opened her eyes again, looking down at him.

"Wh-…why did you s-stop?" she asked, gasping slightly.

He kept his eyes on hers as he leaned in with his face now, putting it up to her legs. He touched her clit with the tip of his nose gently before touching it with his tongue. She fell back against the bed, moaning and thrusting up slightly against his face. He began to fuck her gently with his tongue. She balled the sheets up in her hands, pulling on them as she did her best to keep from screaming out in ecstasy. Troy continued to work her with his tongue until he could feel her muscles tightening up.

He pulled away and stood up. She kept her eyes on him as he removed the rest of his clothing. She widened her eyes when he removed his boxer briefs. He blushed a bit now.

"Get under the covers," he instructed softly.

She did as she was told, quickly situating herself so that she was under the covers, waiting for him. He crawled in with her and pulled her close, kissing her neck softly as he moved so that he was on top of her. She reached down and stroked him softly, causing him to pull his lips from her neck to let out a moan. She continued to stroke him, building confidence as he made happy noises. He finally reached down and put his hand on hers, stopping her.

"If you keep that up, I'm not going to last long," he breathed, his face buried in her hair.

She laughed softly. "Okay, sorry."

He shook his head. "It's fine." He pulled back to look into her eyes. He studied them as he asked, "Are you ready?"

She swallowed hard, but nodded once, determination set in her face. He leaned down and kissed her passionately as he slowly began to enter her. She began to tense up, so he pulled his mouth from hers and whispered sweetly in her ear.

"Shh, Pay. Relax. If you relax, it won't hurt."

She slowly began to calm herself down and he entered her even more. After a few moments, he looked down at her smiled, his breathing heavily. "Do you feel ok?"

She nodded, looking up at his face. He kissed her again as he slowly pulled out, then slowly pushed back in, creating an easy rhythm. She reached up and buried her fingers in his hair, finally closing her eyes. Soon, he was able to pick up the pace and it wasn't long until she was calling out his name in pleasure. After making love for a long time, they both finally came. He pulled out and lay down beside her, pulling her close. He kissed all over her face, neck and shoulders, tasting the sweat that rested there. He placed a sweet kiss on the tip of her nose before smiling and looking at her.

"How do you feel?" he asked softly.

She smiled back up at him. "Amazing…That was so…" She let out a shaky laugh, speechless. He kissed her passionately before whispering against her lips.

"I love you, Pay."

"I love you, too, Hoops," she said, sounding very tired.

They both fell asleep quickly, feeling exhausted. The next day found them feeling crazy. They couldn't keep their hands off of one another. They made love again in the morning and weren't separated again until it was time to start the dress rehearsal that afternoon. After the dress rehearsal, they went back to her room and cuddled until it was time for their opening night. While Sharpay was on stage, he stood on the side, off-stage, his eyes glued to her and a huge smile on his face. When they were both off-stage, they stood side-by-side, holding hands. Neither one of them wanted to let the other one go. This time, during the final scene, Troy felt himself get a little teary eyed as he watched Sharpay pretend to die on stage.

When the play was over, the cast bowed to a standing ovation. There was a reception afterward where the cast met with their friends and families. When Troy entered the hall after changing into normal clothes, he found Sharpay already with her parents and brother. Troy went to go find his parents and they were happy to see that he was in much better spirits than the last time they saw him. He and his dad were discussing basketball when he felt a hand slide down his arm and then lace fingers with his own. He glanced over at Sharpay and smiled at her quickly before continuing to talk to his father, acting as if Sharpay Evans holding his hand wasn't strange. His mother looked at him with her brow furrowed, but he ignored her. A few minutes later, he felt Sharpay tug softly on his hand. He followed her through the sea of people, back into the auditorium where they found themselves alone on the stage.

He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her lovingly. "You were amazing out there."

She shrugged cutely. "I know. You weren't too bad, either."

"Thanks," he laughed. "So, what now, Sharpay?"

She raised her eyebrows a bit, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I'm not sure. I suppose that you could carry me off into the sunset and then we could live happily ever after. I guess." She tried her best to look as if she were merely suggesting what they should eat for dinner.

He nodded slowly, making a face that showed he was considering it. Suddenly, he moved quickly and picked her up, holding her like a bride.

"I think I can live with that."

He leaned in, putting their faces close together, and they shared a sweet kiss.


	8. Epilogue

Epilogue: That Christmas, in the mountains of Colorado

"My lips…two blushing pilgrims ready stand to smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss."

"Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand, too, which mannerly devotion shows in this. For saints have hands that pilgrims hands do touch and palm to palm is holy palmers kiss."

"Have not saints lips and holy palmers too?" Troy asked, trying to lean in to kiss Sharpay.

She easily avoided his move, continuing with the lines. "Ay, pilgrim lips that they must use in _prayer_."

He furrowed his brow and tried to kiss her again. "Well, then, come on, baby. Let's make out, already," he said in a low, fake voice.

She put her hands on her hips. "Troy! That's not how it goes and you know it!"

He sighed heavily before continuing. "Oh, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do. They pray. Grant thou lest faith turn to despair."

She smiled wide at him. "Saints do not move though grant for prayers sake."

Troy groaned, losing character again. "Pay, I really don't remember it."

She just looked at him with her eyebrows raised, waiting for him to continue.

He furrowed his brow in concentration, trying to remember the lines that he never had to recite before this. He smiled wide when he remembered them.

"Then move not while my prayer's effect I take. Thus, from my lips by thine, my sin is purged."

He leaned in to kiss her softly.

She pulled back after a moment, smiling. "Then, have my lips the sin that they have took."

Troy wiggled his eyebrows a bit. "Sin from my lips? Oh, trespass sweetly urged! Give me my sin again!" He picked her up, wrapping her legs around him, and kissed her deeply and passionately. They stood that way for what felt like forever until they finally had to stop to breathe. He carried her over to the bed, laying on top of her and kissing her breathless again.

"You kiss by the book," she breathed against his lips.

He laughed at that. "What book is that?? Playboy?"

She untangled herself from him and hit him in the arm playfully. His cell phone started to ring.

He laughed louder and kissed her forehead, getting up and going over to his phone to answer it.

"Hello? Yeah, Mom….We'll be right down…Okay, thanks. Bye."

Sharpay got up from the bed, straightening herself up. She went over to him, her eyebrows raised. He looked back at her.

"Mom says it's dinner time."

She nodded and went to the nearby table, going to grab her purse.

"Pay, wait. Before we go," he said, following her and stopping her by putting his hands on her arms gently.

She smiled up at him lovingly.

He smiled back and let out a soft sigh. "Pay, you have changed my life. You've made me so happy and you've helped me to see things more clearly than I ever have before. When we were just friends, I never realized that everything I wanted was standing right in front of me. You hit me like a ton of bricks, Sharpay Evans. I didn't expect to fall in love with you. I never saw _any_ of this coming."

She looked up at him with her brow furrowed, looking a little confused.

He continued, still smiling. "But I'm so glad that I'm standing here, now, with you. I can't imagine myself being happier any other way. I'm not going to let you get away ever again."

"Aw, Hoops. You don't have to worry about that. I'm not planning on going anywhere."

He dropped his hands from her arms and pulled one hand back up, bringing it to the back of his neck to rub it softly.

She laughed softly at him, reaching up to grab it from his neck. "Stop that, Hoops. You don't have to be…nervous…" she trailed off a bit, realization hitting her slowly.

He held onto her hand, her left hand, and got onto one knee. With his free hand, he pulled a ring box out of his pocket. He released her hand so that he could open it and show her the diamond engagement ring that was inside. She gasped softly, covering her mouth with her right hand.

"Oh, Troy…"

He smiled at her. "Sharpay Evans. You are the love of my life. I cannot live without you. Will you marry me?"

Tears filled her eyes and she nodded quickly as she watched him take the ring out of the box and put it on her finger. He stood now and pulled her close. He hugged her for a long moment before looking at her face, worried.

"Are those happy tears?" he asked fearfully.

She laughed softly now and wiped her face, nodding. "Yes. Yes, happy tears. I'm so happy, Troy."

She pulled him in for a passionate kiss and, for the first time since he left high school, Troy finally felt that everything was right in his world.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

So that's the end! I hope you guys enjoyed it! I really loved writing it. I have a couple of ideas running through my head that could work for a sequel or an entirely different story. I haven't really decided, yet. I _can_ tell you that my next piece will probably have something to do with babies. Please let me know what you thought of the story and if you have any good ideas for another one! Thanks again to all of my faithful readers! -EB


End file.
